Role of glyphosate for Welsh farmers
NFU Cymru has always lobbied for this debate to be led by science and evidence.
Welsh farmers recognise the importance of professional and responsible PPP stewardship and aim to use non-chemical controls before turning to chemical solutions.
However, farmers should be able to utilise all available options as part of managing crop growth, pests, weeds and diseases in an integrated and sustainable system.
The herbicide glyphosate, along with other PPPs, plays a key role in effective crop protection, which is essential to food production in Wales and the UK.
Glyphosate reduces the need to use other herbicides, helps protect soil, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for ploughing.
No-till and minimum-till systems would not normally be successful without this chemical, and direct drilling into grassland is much more likely to work if glyphosate is used to remove existing vegetation.
EU assessment of glyphosate
Between 2019 and 2023, EU Member State competent authorities, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) reassessed all the science and evidence relating to glyphosate.
The resulting scientific evaluation of all data and evidence on glyphosate was 11,000 pages long — more than twice the length of a typical assessment report. The assessment process concluded that glyphosate is not a carcinogen and does not pose any key concerns regarding its impact on the environment.
The EU reassessment concluded that there is currently no scientific or legal justification for a ban. This led to the renewal of EU approval for glyphosate in 2023 for a further 10 years. Under the conditions of approval, and when following good agricultural practice, glyphosate is considered not to have harmful effects on human health or unacceptable effects on the environment.
During EU Member State discussions on the renewal of glyphosate, a political decision was taken to restrict its use pre-harvest as a desiccant. There was no scientific justification for this decision — throughout the EU scientific evaluation, no risks associated with its use as a desiccant were identified.
Alongside the EU, regulatory authorities around the world — including in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Korea — continue to conclude that glyphosate-based products are safe to use.
Glyphosate renewal in GB
The GB regulatory renewal assessment process for glyphosate is running on a different timetable to the EU and is currently underway. The assessment is being carried out by the UK regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The HSE will follow a process that is broadly the same as the EU process, including consideration of the EU assessment, as well as new scientific, technical and regulatory evidence that has emerged since that assessment. More detail about the process can be found at: GOV.UK | Glyphosate renewal.
The government has announced that the HSE expects to launch the statutory public consultation on the renewal assessment in summer 2026. Once announced, we will circulate the details and will be responding. We would also encourage individual responses from members.
The application to renew GB approval for glyphosate was submitted to the HSE by the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG), a consortium of companies seeking its renewal.
The GRG also has a website to inform stakeholders and provide transparency on the ongoing regulatory process. It contains factual and valuable information based on science, not rhetoric.
